10 B1 | 5. Klasse | READING | School and education My life at a UK boarding school Mioie Kwok describes her time at the City of London Freemen’s School. When I was offered my place at the City of London Freemen’s School, I was overwhelmed with excitement and curious about what life would be like so far away from my native Hong Kong. According to countless British dramas and movies I’d watched, boarding school life appeared scary. But after studying there, I’m happy to report that it isn’t nearly as painful as depicted in the movies! The facilities at Freemen’s were more advanced than most schools back in Hong Kong. We had our own swimming pool, sports hall and two libraries. There was even a black box theatre – a small square room with black walls and a flat floor where simple performances can take place. This helped me, as a drama student, develop my knowledge and directorial skills. The newly built and incredibly comfortable living quarters made me feel at home and helped me get used to my new life. Mondays to Fridays are school days at Freemen’s and thus relatively similar and repetitive in nature. We were expected to be ready for breakfast at 8.00 a.m. and be in class by 8.30. The school day ends around 4.00 p.m., and boarders then have two hours of free time to participate in optional extracurricular activities like the debating club. Due to my drama studies, I spent most of my free time in rehearsals. Dinner is at 6.00 p.m., and during prep time from 7.00 to 9.00 p.m., homework and revision are completed. Senior students are allowed to work in their rooms, but junior pupils are supervised by boarding house tutors. Weekends are quite free. As boarders we were given the choice of participating in organised activities, applying for permission for a weekend leave or staying in to study. Some of my favourite activities included karaoke, tennis and, of course, our weekly runs to the supermarket. But nothing was better than the series of Christmas celebrations arranged by our boarding tutors. These involved a shopping trip to a festive Christmas market, ice-skating at a palace and the legendary Christmas Ball. In my boarding house, bullying wasn’t an issue because students were good friends. We loved doing silly things to each other all the time and taking turns at cooking for each other at weekends. Of course, as teenagers, there were some fights, but not many. Boarding at Freemen’s, I developed lifelong friendships with students from across the globe. Many of my friends helped me through tough times, making me feel better when I felt homesick. A really positive aspect of studying at Freemen’s was the high-quality teaching. When I started sixth form, I had some doubts about my subject choices because I made them based on what I was good at, without thinking about what job I might do in the future. Fortunately, my teachers greatly enjoyed their subjects. Their wisdom and advice helped shape my career plans and ambitions, and therefore helped me figure out what I should do with my life. Studying for two years at Freemen’s both increased my academic interests and strengthened my academic abilities. Besides, it showed me just how independent I’d become. I’d learned to manage my time, study hard and still have a great social life. These are all important life lessons that I honestly wouldn’t have learned anywhere else within such a short period of time Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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